Ladies and Gentlemen, Crafters and Friends...

Drum Roll Please...

The Official Pepperberry & Co. Etsy Shop has been Launched!

Now available for your viewing pleasure are 11 sensational, stunning and scintillating Snap Pouches, with styles varying from Japanese Text...


to Little Worms on Vines...



to Polka Dot Pleasures...


and Dancing Ballerinas!


The first Pepperberry & Co. Follower to purchase a product will receive a free, and exclusive, Pepperberry & Co. Bookmark from the yet-to-be-released range!

Please Note: Due to Technical Difficulties, the remainder of the Pepperberry & Co. range (including Notebook Covers, Passport Covers, Travel Tissue Holders and Mini Tote Bags) will officially be launched on Friday... stay tuned for the party and a ridiculous amount of discounts!

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The Snap Pouches are Launched!

Whew!

After the initial excitement, the incredible amount of work, your wonderful brainstorming, and the last minute panic, the Made 'N Thornbury market is done! I have spent today in a blurry-eyed daze, and have been caught out napping and drooling at some very odd moments. I have survived, though, and it's time to update my faithful readers about the magnificence of yesterday!

Friday night was hectic- I was still sewing, ironing and packing at just before midnight. Luckily, I managed to finish almost everything I had planned to make, with the exception of some bookmarks and wrist cuffs. Expect to see those at the next market, wherever that may be!

After posting about my lack of table, I received some wonderful suggestions about where to find one- but just before I headed out for the hunt, Sharon came home with some borrowed tablecloths and set about building me my very own table from unused floorboards. Within an hour, it was up, and my stall was coming together! Is she ridiculously talented, or what?!

Bright and early on Saturday morning, we headed across to Thornbury with a car full of goodies and rapidly beating hearts. As soon as we arrived, we realised that the screws and brackets that held the table together were lying on our living room floor- of course! Some quick thinking and batch of sticky tape later, our problem was solved and we were good to go.


Now, judging by the amount of emails in my inbox, I'm gathering you'd like to see some pictures of my goodies and stall- so here you go!

First, we propped up the Passport Covers:


Then added some Travel Tissue Bags:


After which the Snap Pouches came out:


Followed by A5 Notebook Covers:


And finally, the Mini Tote Bags!


The stall was complete, and we were ready for our very first market.


Craft enthusiasts began arriving at 10 on the dot, and the rest of the day is a blur. I did so much chatting to so many wonderful people that my head was spinning by the end of the day!

I was surrounded by some of Melbourne's most talented crafters, including Felicity from Flicketty Splits, Cam from Curly Pops, Jennie and Jack from Vestal Vagrant, Louise from Buttons by Lou Lou, Margaret from Konstant Kaos, the gorgeous duo from Finki, the lovely Tania from Cheeky Little Monsters, and the gals from Nettle & Brier.

I also had some marvellous, super-talented visitors, including Nikki from You Sew Girl (who's just posted about my stall and the Notebook Cover she won in my giveaway), Jacinta from One Little Acorn, Nikki from My Black Cardigan, the lovely Tinniegirl, Fiona from SewHum, and Becky from Pivotal Xpressions.

As you can imagine, it was a crafty wonderland filled with endless inspiration!

My first sale came quickly, and I tried very hard to resist the urge to hug the lovely lady who bought the passport cover. Soon, there was another sale, then another, and another- I was on fire! A gift certificate purchase, a custom order, and a wholesale opportunity later, I was on a high like no other. People liked my craft!


Now, it's time for rest. I have a big week coming up- my Etsy shop will be launched on Wednesday; I will be doing a tutorial on how to create gorgeous iron-on labels; I have 3 orders to fill; and I still need to show off all of the gorgeous things I bought at the market!

Zzzzz...

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A rip-roaring, mind-boggling, all-out success!

24 hours to go, and we have a problem...

The Made 'N Thornbury market starts in 24 hours, and I'm one busy bee! I'm back to crazy multi-tasking, but this time without the tap dancing- although if I had another cup of coffee I'm sure I'd be doing that too! If you want to check out who'll be at the market, head over to the Curly Pops blog- lovely Cam's done an amazing photographic roundup.

It's been a pretty productive week, and I've finished a range of snap pouches, passport covers, travel tissue holders, Pepperberry & Co. labels, and business cards. I'm still finishing off mini tote bags, and I'm about to get started on notebook covers. So much to do, so little time...

The problem right now doesn't lie in what I have, however; it's what I don't have that's the issue: a table and a tablecloth. WHOA! I've heard they're a slight priority at a market. So, unless my luck changes between now and tomorrow, you'll be able to spot my stall immediately: I'll be the one on the blankets on the floor! Thanks to all the wonderful suggestions, though, it'll be a lovely floor stall, complete with lollies, colour and price tags everywhere.

I'm off to sew, panic, iron, chew my nails, sew some more, and hunt down a table. Wish me luck!

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Madness in the Factory!

Goods for sale? Check.

Business Cards? Check.

A big smile and a nervous tummy? Check.

With only three sleeps to go until the Virgin Market Stall, things are heating up in the Pepperberry & Co. Shivershop. Little Tango the Bichon Frise can barely make his way through the office over the piles of fabric, completed projects, and scraps; occasionally, he even finds lengths of thread and interfacing attached to his ears, tail and nose.

We're in full preparation mode!

A question that has come up now that the market is looming is that of how to set up my stall. There are many suggestions to be found online, such as using colour, having banners, and ensuring some objects are at eye level. I've also brainstormed a list of things that I love when shopping at craft markets:

- Being able to pick up a business card for future reference;
- Not having a busy table with too much to look at;
- Being able to see a clear 'theme'- ie. knowing immediately what the stall produces;
- Not having a pushy salesperson; and
- Seeing a friendly and interested face behind the stall.

Whilst brainstorming, I was thinking about how great it would be to be able to ask a group of crafty experts what it was that they love seeing at market stalls... and where better to find a group of crafty experts than amongst my readers?! So...

What is it that you are attracted to at markets?

Is it colour, style, or a certain type of vibe?

Do you like to walk into a stall and browse, or would you rather peruse a single table?

Do you like to see and know prices of things, or is having to ask for the price a nice icebreaker?

And what is it about a stall that has you actually purchase something?

With the crafty experts that you are, I'm sure we'll be able to come up with a Pepperberry & Co. stall that is simply perfect!


P.S. Thank you so much to all of the wonderful readers who offered solutions to my sewing dilemma. It turned out that the major problem was having an old needle- now that that's changed, I'm sewing like a nut! Due to your encouragement, I've also picked up my sewing machine's manual- and hey, who knew that my machine could do so many exciting things?! You gals rock!

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What Makes You Love A Market Stall?

CAN YOU HELP?
Here at Pepperberry & Co. Headquarters, we are experiencing a problem.


It appears that every time we sew, one of the following two things happens:

1. The top thread breaks. Ultra infuriating.
2. A stitch is missed because the bobbin thread is not grabbed. Infinitely annoying.

We have attempted the following resolutions:

1. Seriously upgrading the quality of the thread, from cheap-brand polyblend to expensive-brand cotton. The problems got worse.
2. Adjusting the tension of the sewing machine. This made no difference.

We are appealing for public assistance in this matter. Should you have any details that could help with the investigation, please contact us using the form below. All tips leading to a solving of the dilemma will receive ridiculously grateful emails.


PAYING IT FORWARD...
Due to her role as the manager of the Shivershop, Coco was unfortunately unavailable to pick the three people who won gifts as a part of Pay It Forward. Instead, I was blindfolded, handed a list of people who had left comments and a red pen, and told to draw three circles on the list. This was the result:


So, congratulations to:

- The gorgeous Harley Dee of Koala Fuzz;
- The lovely Kit of Diva Quilts;

And, by proximity to The Dotty One, who should never have been on the list due to the fact that Pay It Forward came from her...

- The wonderful Emmy from Number Seventy Five!

Congratulations, ladies! Make sure you email me your addresses and I'll pop your gifts in the post.


PSST... CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?
If you promise not to tell a soul, I might just show you a sneak peek of one of the delightful items making an appearance at this Saturday's Market Stall...

Ok, are you ready?

Presenting... Lined Snap Purses!


Now, they may only look like simple (if stunning!) little wallets, but they are in fact some of the complex pieces of sewing genius that you shall ever see. Or do I just feel that way because I'm a total beginner? :-)

Because you're such good secret-keepers, I'll also show you my very first Pepperberry & Co. iron-on labels:


Aren't they simply charming? I'm excited!

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A Sewing Dilemma, A Giveaway Winner & A Sneak Peek!

My office resembles a factory. Well, it would if the factory belonged to a mad scientist with a severe addiction to expensive fabrics and a market coming up in seven days.

There is fabric spread everywhere. Little 'Pepperberry & Co.' labels line my desk and scraps and threads cover the floor. There are pins all over the place and a little black box sits proudly in the corner, slowly filling up with things I've made to sell at the market.

There is a running joke at my house for me to get back to my 'sweatshop' whenever I spend too long away from my sewing machine. I suppose I could call it sweatshop, but it's so chilly here in Melbourne that I've dubbed it a Shivershop instead!

This is not just any Shivershop, mind you. It's a jittery one. Why's that, you may ask? Well, I made a fatal error this morning.

Twice.

Let me introduce my error by clarifying that I rarely, if ever, drink any caffeinated beverages. This morning seemed like a good time to start, though, and why do anything by halves? So, I had a cup of coffee.

And then I had another one.

Needless to say, I'm now a jittery jumping jutter bug. I'm blinking rapidly, breaking threads with my bear hands, sewing at high speed and tap dancing under the table- all at the same time!

Oh, dear. May the world be safe from my twitching eyeballs.

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In My Jittery Shivershop

I have so much news to share with you that I think I might pop with excitement!

MY FIRST MARKET STALL!
On a whim, I signed up for my very first market stall yesterday afternoon, at the Made 'N Thornbury market. The only catch is that it's in eight days- on Saturday the 2nd of May! I'm very nervous about the whole thing, but extremely excited too. I've been thinking about doing this for a while, and such a short time frame is bound to get my bum into gear. My office has turned into a mad, sweaty factory, and I'm producing business cards, notebook covers, fabric labels, passport covers, travel tissue holders, bags and more!

10% OFF!
I want to meet all my lovely readers! As a cheeky way of blackmailing you all to come to the market, I'm offering 10% off my products to everyone who visits me and says 'Roger ate my Rabbit'. Beware that I might hug you out of pure excitement!

Here are the details so that you can come and play- make sure to tell your friends:



WE BOUGHT LAND!
Sharon and I have been drooling over a gorgeous piece of land in Hurstbridge for the past few weeks, and our offer's just been accepted! It's 20 acres of pure bushland, with a gorgeous dam, endangered plants, an array of wildlife and views across the valleys. Better yet, it's in a 'green wedge' council, so the whole area is passionate about the environment, and our street is part of an artists' colony! We will be moving there in December to build our dream home: 100% off-the-grid, self-sustainable and eco-efficient. And of course, I shall have my very own crafting cottage! You'll all have to come and visit.



VIRGIN SWAP!
I have officially signed up for my very first craft swap over at Snailblazer! As a virgin swapper, I'm both bursting with ideas and really hoping my recipients will love what they get. If anyone has any tips on how to make a swap extra special, or stories of the gorgeous things they've received in the past, I'd love to hear about them!

P.S. Do you like the Swap button? I made it!

THE GIVEAWAY!
Over at the gorgeous Dotty One blog, I signed up for a heartwarming crafty idea called Pay It Forward. In a nutshell, the first three people who commented on Dotty's Post are receiving a special gift from her, and now it's my turn to spoil my readers!

Because of your crazy time-zone differences and work hours, though, I've decided not to simply select the first three people to leave a comment. Instead, everyone who comments will go into a draw to win a handmade gift from me. The three winners will be picked on Monday, the 27th of April in another unique way! The winners will then need to post about the Pay It Forward exchange on their blog so that it can keep going.


A PEPPERBERRY FEATURE!
The lovely Patti over at It's A Wonderful featured me on her blog. Thank you thank you thank you! I can't tell you how much it means to me.

PHEW!
Was that ever a lot of excitement. I'm off to my factory now- there's so much work to be done that my brain is hurting!

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News! More News! And a Giveaway!